European RC #5

I read this book for the European Reading Challenge 2019.

The German Generals Talk - B. H. Liddell Hart

This 1948 book is a description of WWII battles “as seen through German eyes.” It’s rather an inquest on German strategy, chronologically arranged with digressions here and there on compelling  topics such as the July 20^th assassination plot; Hitler’s fiendishly charismatic leadership style and methods; and the range of attitudes toward the Nazi Party and its brutal functionaries by the fastidious aristo generals. No campaign is fully explained; that would mean an opus on the order Operation Barbarossa by Alan Clark, at 600 pages, but multiplied 4 or 5 times. This book is written for the general reader, at reasonable length, in plain language.

In the 1920s and 1930s Liddell Hart wrote voluminously about battle strategy and tactics, especially about the development of armored forces. His writings naturally caught the eye of German officers who were working secretly – because in violation of treaty - on the re-armament of Nazi Germany.

After the Allied victory in 1945, Liddell Hart was able to interview the generals to gather their views of the recent hostilities. I suppose it is not strange that Liddell Hart reports that the generals endorse his views of defensive strategy. But I guess what makes the civilian reader uncomfortable is the palsy-walsiness between military professionals discussing the subtleties of the recent dust-up, like Bossy and Gretzky chatting affably over the 1983 Stanley Cup final. When Liddell Hart  describes Gerd von Rundstedt as a general “so straightforward, so strict in his conception of the soldierly code of honor, as to be unsuitable to participate in a conspiracy,” one is indeed reminded of rubbishy slogans - “good men in a bad cause” - that encourage the bad guys to think they are doing the right thing.

Opinions aside, there are various surprising stances and revelations in the book. The one about Dunkirk is so shocking I won’t spoil it in a review.  More than the generals, Liddell Hart grasps the inventive elements in Hitler's military thinking, such as the value of surprise and unconventional operations. Hitler also denied local commanders any initiative in ordering timely retreats. His “will beats skill” attitude did lead to failure.

Thank heaven.

Anyway, for overviews of WWII turning points in Europe, from another point of view, in approachable writing for non-experts, this is recommendable.